In the climactic scene of PV’s production of “Scapino!”, senior Maaz Ahmed shifted rapidly from role to role, becoming within seconds pirate, martial arts master, naval officer and finally the play’s titular charming scoundrel. The hijinks were meant to pull the wool over the eyes of another character, but Ahmed cheerfully invited the audience to become part of the deception – he instructed them to stomp their feet and struggle to hold in their laughter with shouts of “Come on, everybody!” Perhaps this role, besides being a testament to his immense talent, best captured the scope of Ahmed’s entire career: a joyful foray into the emotional and bizarre, a series of brief but resonant microcosms of community and experiment.
Ahmed is no stranger to theater: he first joined PV’s drama department in the junior high’s production of “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley” and has been acting ever since, taking on several major roles including Tobias Ragg in “Sweeney Todd,” Eddie in “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” and Motel in “Fiddler on the Roof.” He has also acted as lighting designer for both “Sweeney Todd” and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” received high honors at All-State Speech and has participated in comedy improv with team The Select Button.
Ahmed has a boundless love for drama, one that he attributes to the artform’s flexibility and freedom for interpretation. “I love telling stories in general, and acting lets me tell stories even easier,” he said. “I get to be the bridge between the audience and the author’s message, and I get to interpret that message to fit my style.” After high school, Ahmed plans to bring that style to college as a theater major and then to the most famous stage of all. “I’m pursuing directing and lighting design professionally, hoping to work on Broadway one day,” he said.
Ahmed’s influences, however, lie much closer to home. “My biggest influence has been the friends I’ve made around me,” he said. “We keep pushing each other to get better and try new things.
Ahmed steps into each role with humor, warmth and most importantly, honesty — there’s so much truth to his characters that his audiences are glad to be deceived. While “Scapino!” was his last production at PV, Ahmed will certainly take part in even bigger and brighter endeavors in the future.
